Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term maintenance of body weight. Unfortunately, that message has not gotten through to the average American, who would rather try switching to "light" beer and low-calorie bread than increase physical exertion. The Centers for Disease Control, for example, found that fewer than one-fourth of overweight adults who were trying to shed pounds said they were combining exercise with their diet.

In rejecting exercise, some people may be discouraged too much by caloric-expenditure charts; for example, one would have to briskly walk three miles just to work off the 275 calories in one delicious Danish pastry (小甜餅). Even exercise professionals concede half a point here. "Exercise by itself is a very tough way to lose weight," says York Onnen, program director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Still, exercise's supporting role in weight reduction is vital. A study at the Boston University Medical Center of overweight police officers and other public employees confirmed that those who dieted without exercise regained almost all their old weight, while those who worked exercise into their daily routine maintained their new weight.

If you have been sedentary (極少活動的) and decide to start walking one mile a day, the added exercise could burn an extra 100 calories daily. In a year's time, assuming no increase in food intake, you could lose ten pounds. By increasing the distance of your walks gradually and making other dietary adjustments, you may lose even more weight.

參考譯文

運動是少數幾項在長期保持體重上扮演著積極角色的因素之一。然而不幸的是，這一理念卻未能被普通美國人所了解。這些人寧愿嘗試選擇清淡啤酒和低熱量的面包，也不愿增加體能的消耗。例如，美國疾病控制中心研究發現，在力圖減肥的人群中，不到1/4的人將運動和節食結合了起來。

在拒絕運動的過程中，一些人或許是因為熱量消耗圖表而被大大的挫傷了信心。例如，一個人必須要輕快的行走3英里，僅僅來消耗由一塊可口的丹麥小甜餅所產生的275卡熱量。甚至就連專業的運動人士對此也不得不部分地承認。“運動本身就是一種很困難的減肥方法。”美國總統身體健康和運動委員會的項目主管，約克·昂尼說。

然而，運動對減肥的輔助作用仍然是至關重要的。一份由波士頓大學醫學中心所做的對過胖的干警和其他的公職人員的研究證實，那些只節食而不運動的人幾乎完全恢復了原有的體重，而那些將運動列入了日常工作的人則保持了新的重量。

如果你經常坐著缺乏運動，現在決定開始每天步行一英里，這增添的運動量每天可以額外燃燒100卡的熱量。在一年之內，假如進食量不增加的話，你可以減10磅。通過逐漸增加步行的距離以及做些飲食方面的調整，你甚至可以減得更多。